A Dragon in Ice
by sherlockwjl
Summary: Daenerys Targaryen is married to Robb Stark by Eddard Stark as Khal Drogo dies prematurely. The couple, even with their differences, must try to work together to reach their goals. Their differences get in the way, but maybe it's the little differences that will help the couple more than anything. ROBB/DAENERYS pairing. Follows the narrative style of ASoIaF rather than GoT.
1. Chapter 1

EDDARD

It was hot as always in the afternoon at King's Landing. The sun didn't seem to want to let on, even as it was setting towards the Gate of the Gods. It didn't help that Eddard had just fought with Robert. So he wouldn't take his resignation at all. He sighed deeply, closed his door, and sat before his desk, looking at the sunset. He wondered whether Catelyn and Robb was looking at the sunset as well in the North, when a soft knock interrupted his thoughts.

"Who is it?" Eddard instinctively put his hand on his sword as he walked towards the door.

"It's me, Varys." Eddard opened the door and quickly ushered Varys in, who was obviously disguised as one of the coal boys of the Red Keep.

'This blasted city is turning me paranoid,' he thought to himself as Varys took his hood off, revealing his bald head.

"Don't mind the clothes, I had to keep out of sight. No one's safe from Littlefinger in the Red Keep, especially nowadays." Varys spoke as though there was nothing wrong with this at all, as if everybody in King's Landing did something like this every day. Varys sat on his chair and began to speak.

"I wanted to tell you something, to give you some knowledge of… a… wild card, if you will."

"And why would I need something like that?"

Varys seemed amused. His mouth slowly formed into a smile, a smile that Eddard didn't like seeing, and yet had to see almost every day.

"Well, dear Lord Stark the honorable, not everyone is as noble as you are, and you are delving into very dangerous waters. A direwolf is not safe in waters such as these, and you know it. The queen seems to want you gone more than anyone and the previous hand of the king died shrouded in secrecy. You want to leave these waters, but the question is, will your king let you?"

Varys looked at Robert with almost sad eyes, as if he was genuinely sorry for Eddard. Still, Eddard knew better than to think that Varys actually was feeling sad for him. Varys would never help anyone unless he got something, no matter how little it would be, out of it. Though he wasn't a Lannister, he always seemed to pay his debts and always wanted his own debts paid.

"Why would you want to tell me whatever it is you want to tell me?" Varys seemed to be more amused that before at Eddard's response.

"Well, let's just say that this wild card is a bit of a problem for me as well. It…She, rather, is not the safest of my assets. One of my little birds is looking after her as we speak, but she is restless. She had a brother, but it seems that he has run off without her, probably for some way to gain power. She… is not safe with me as she would be with you, and she could probably help you as well."

Eddard was confused. Who was this girl? How did this girl make a man such as Varys scared of her? Obviously she had power that no one else had.

"Who is this girl you speak of?" Eddard demanded.

"Her name is Daenerys Targaryen. The last of her name." Varys glanced at the door as he spoke, as if he was afraid of anyone hearing his already barely-audible whisper.

Eddard stared at Varys in shock as questions flooded into his head. Daenerys Targaryen. One of the only Targaryens that were lucky enough to escape the wrath of Robert's rebellion, never able to set her foot on Westeros again. Of course he had guessed that she, and her brother, whatever his name was, was still alive, and even Robert had mentioned her recent marriage to a Dothraki lord. '

But why and how was Varys looking after her and why was Varys telling him this?' Ned thought.

Varys seemed to know what Eddard was thinking and smiled. He continued speaking, smiling one of his devious little smiles.

"She was married to a Dothraki horse lord until very recently, until the idiot lord killed himself hunting for some wild Essos animals. Her brother ran off without her, for some reason, and I need to keep her under my supervision. You wouldn't want her to come back to Westeros ready to retake her throne with Dothraki warriors, and face Robert's wrath at you when she does, would you?"

That was something Eddard agreed to. During the war against the Mad King, Eddard had always maintained that the children were not guilty of the acts of their family, but that was not the case with Robert. When the Lannisters and betrayed the Targaryens and killed all but two of them, Robert decided to award them with praises rather than punish them for their crimes as Eddard would have. Robert would be furious of he found out about the widowed girl.

"What are you saying, Varys? That I take the girl from you? Watch her as you do? Eddard couldn't help but be suspicious. If his time as the Hand of the King had taught him anything, it was that no one, especially people who were like Varys, was to be trusted. Eddard put his hand on his sword again, as he instinctively did whenever he felt nervous.

Varys smiled one of his trademark shady smiles at that, chilling Eddard. Amused again, Varys started to speak.

"Well, something like that. I was going to ask you to take her to the North, and… Marry Robb to her."

"You want me to get my son to marry a Targaryen? What makes you think that I would do something such as that? Why should I betray the trust of my king and harbor a known criminal?" Eddard spoke with disbelief. Varys was many things, but he wasn't stupid. There was no way Varys could seriously expect Eddard to marry his eldest son to a Targaryen, who probably wanted to kill him and his family for what he did to her father's reign over Westeros.

"Please, you know the girl is guilty of no crimes other than having been born. Also, you can't expect Robert to be able to protect you forever, especially not at times like these." Varys smiled again, but sighed, as if he was mocking Eddard.

"Think of her as… An insurance. Like I was saying, there's no saying that you'll be able to survive this game we're playing, trying to figure out who killed Jon Arryn, what Cersei's trying to hide, yada yada ya, that sort of thing. Wouldn't you have more power with a Targaryen girl in your deck to surprise everyone with?"

Eddard wasn't convinced, but Varys continued.

"If it's your honor you're worried about, or your sense of duty that you seem to cherish so much, think about this. Does the girl deserve to be hated for having the wrong parents? Does she? I've heard that you wanted to save her when the Lannisters had chased them away…"

Eddard considered this. It _was_ true. It wasn't fair that children had to pay for their parents' mistakes, and he had always maintained that the Lannisters had committed a crime themselves by killing the Targaryen family. Also, though Eddard felt guilty for even thinking this, it was also true that the girl could be of some help to have. Still…

"But a girl who could also get me arrested for treason by my king just as quickly? Would I be safe with her? I have just fought Robert right now! I can't!"

"You're still the only one in this city that Robert considers to be his friend, and well, just think about it for now." Varys started to get out of his chair and walked toward the door, wearing his hood again. "Oh, and I almost forgot! She has three baby dragons with her, apparently. Woke some old eggs." With that, Varys was gone. Eddard slumped into his bed and looked outside the window, where it was already dark and the moon was shining on the narrow sea. He could hear the sound of a boat whistle coming from somewhere near the docks. To him, it sounded strangely like a dragon's cry.

-o-


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow! This story got a good amount of attention from a lot of people! Thanks, guys! And... Uh... Sorry but this chapter's going to be pretty static and boring, like the last chapter. It sounded so great when I was planning ahead, you know? I'm just going to set up the premise for these two chapters, and I promise that I'll get some action in the next chapter. Thanks for reading, and I hope you stick around. I promise I've got great things planned!**

THEON

"Yes, there we go, White Harbor. It's about time. My arse is sore. Damn mule."

Robb obviously did not want to respond. He just quietly looked at White Harbor, bustling with activity even when seen from afar. Robb had been quiet during the whole ride from Winterfell to White Harbor. Though Robb wasn't known for being the loudest kid in Winterfell, it was unusual for him to be _this_ quiet.

As practically the only true city in the North, White Harbor was full of all sorts of people. Traders from all of Westeros and the Free Cities of Essos would come, looking to buy the good of the North with the wares they brought from their lands. It was just as Theon had remembered.

All sorts of ships carrying all sorts of banners, all with their own colors, were still coming and going in a constant rush that never seemed to end, and the yells of the merchants selling fish doused out the sounds of hundreds, if not thousands, of seagulls.

Robb didn't seem to be caring much about the scenery at all, but rather stared at the ships with nervous eyes. He constantly fidgeted with his cloak and rubbed the hilt every time a new ship docked in the shore, startling Grey Wind, Robb's direwolf.

"The Ship". By Lord Stark's orders, only the Starks, Theon himself, and Maester Luwin had been informed of it. A ship coming all the way from beyond Valyria, holding things no one believed to exist anymore. Theon personally didn't see the logic behind his orders, but being Lord Stark's decision, he hadn't challenged it, and neither had any of the others. Still, Robb didn't seem to be happy about it in the least. Robb's head perked up once more as a small ship docked in the right port. Robb sighed, and got off his horse.

Robb walked towards the ship as two hooded figures, accompanied two obviously Dothraki girls, slowly rode out.

"At least they brought their own horses." Theon said to Robb, expecting a laugh, but Robb only nodded.

"So they did." He seemed pale, and Theon smirked as he noticed his hand shaking.

"The lady's not going to like a man who shakes in fear as he leads her to bed, you know."

"Shut up."

The two hooded figures were looking their way now. Robb and Grey Wind approached them. They quickly whispered amongst themselves and walked forward as well. Theon only followed, as was his duty. He had only to watch and escort the group, not interfere with their business, which he already knew too well what it was.

"My lady," Robb said as he bowed slightly to the shorter figure. That must have been the girl, though it was hard to see from Theon's position.

"I see you've brought your bodyguard here as well." Robb glanced nervously at the taller figure as Grey Wind growled beside him. The figure didn't even flinch. A great feat, considering how threatening the direwolf had become. Theon could only wonder who that was, as his face wasn't fully visible, but his armor seemed vaguely familiar to him.

"He'll be leaving for Essos again and will not accompany me to Winterfell. He already knows better than anyone that he is not welcome here anymore." The figure said, quite angrily, as if Robb had just hurt them. With that, the taller figured backed away and bowed to her.

"Of course, my lady. If you say so. I am sorry for the rudeness, but we have stood here for too long. We must leave for Winterfell now." Robb stammered halfway through, making him look like a nervous child, which he was.

The shorter figure nodded to the taller figure, and got back on her horse. The taller figure kneeled.

"Then we will go." The short figure said curtly, gesturing the Dothraki girls, who Theon could only assume were her maidens, to come as well.

As the figure passed him, Theon briefly saw under the hood. The girl had violet eyes, just like the stories had told him.

-o-

DAENERYS

It was the first time ever in Daenerys's life that she had ever been cold. She had always assumed that being cold would be a lot like being extremely hot, but it seemed much worse. The way the cold seemed to seep into her arms, the way the wind seemed to cut her face every time it flashed by, the way her fingers and toes started to numb, they were all painful in ways she had never imagined. She constantly rubbed her hands together, but that only seemed to make it worse.

Ser Jorah had warned her of the cold, wrapping her in layers after layers of fur on the ship, but the cold was much worse than what Ser Jorah had made it out to be. Maybe being a man of the North, he had a resistance to it, just like her "companions" seemed to have. _They_ sure weren't acting like they were freezing. They rode on their horses with straight backs that seemed to scream confidence, a contrast to how she was riding, shriveled up by the cold and nervous looking.

As Daenerys rubbed her hands again, the dark-haired one, who had been watching her curiously, started talking.

"Do you require more furs, my lady? Summer's coming to an end, and the gods know it's getting colder, ever so slightly. Was it as cold as this in… Wherever you were?" He spoke with mocking eyes, as if he was trying to test her.

Daenerys decided that it would be best to keep calm. She didn't fully know who he was yet, and while making enemies didn't bother her, Ser Jorah had told her to measure up her opponents before she attacked.

"Well, the cold isn't something I'm very used to, as I haven't had chances to . Essos is very… Hospitable, lord…?"

As she mentioned the last word, the man stiffened ever so slightly, and while he recovered quickly, she knew that she had hit the right spot.

'You're messing with fire here, not-lord-whoever-you-are." Daenerys thought.

"Oh, I am not a lord, my lady, not yet, anyways. I had not realized how rude I had been, not introducing myself to you sooner. I am Theon Greyjoy, of house Greyjoy, at your service."

Ah. A Greyjoy. Viserys had talked about them at one point, talking of families who would rise up against the Usurper with him. Apparently the Starks had taken a ward from them when they lost the rebellion.

"Greyjoys of the Iron Islands? I see you're out of your element yourself, ser."

The Greyjoy grunted and said,

"I'm not a ser either."

"I know."

Theon opened his mouth, probably to say something to counter her "attack", but just then, the auburn-haired one opened his mouth, interrupting him.

"We're almost there."

A first victory for her, Daenerys thought. Ser Jorah would be proud. She turned her head, expecting Ser Jorah to be smiling at her victory, but only her handmaidens stared back. Of course. She was alone now. Viserys was gone, nowhere to be found, the Khal was dead, and Ser Jorah wasn't here anymore. Another first time for her, she thought. Still, Daenerys would get used to it. She would, she told herself repeatedly. She had to. There was surely nothing worse than crying in the cold, feeling lonely.

-o-

ROBB

As he lay on his bed that night, after two days of nothing but riding, he could hear his mother's footsteps as he walked past, probably to go to Bran's room. She was crying again. Robb felt as if he should follow her and keep her company, but he knew she wouldn't like that. She didn't like it when others saw her crying, even when they were her own children. There was no getting around it. He felt miserable.

Not only had his father and his sisters left for Kings landing, his brother injured and possibly crippled for life, and now, to top it off, his father had married him off to a girl he hadn't even seen until… Well, he had never gotten a good look at her face today, either, so he had never really looked at her face. For the first time, he realized why everyone always said that the gods were cruel.

The girl had been as distant as could be throughout the day. She seldom talked, and even when asked questions, she answered in vague ways, puzzling him. The only words that came out of her mouth today were demands useless questions. She was still very immature, and his mother had not approved.

"Is there a room that would be less cold?"

"Where will my handmaidens sleep?"

"Do you have stables?"

"I will not sleep be sleeping in his room until we are formally wed, will I?" He scowled at the thought of the last question. He didn't want to sleep with a childish girl who had not even shown her face to him anyway. Least of all a _Targaryen_.

Robb still couldn't figure out what his father was thinking, getting his eldest son to marry the child of Mad King Aerys, who had burned his father and strangled his elder brother in full view of the court. Hadn't he fought a war to usurp the throne? Why would he try to marry Robb to a Targaryen now? Were things that bad in King's Landing?

She was supposed to be beautiful, but still, a girl who acts like that in front of her soon to be mother… All he knew as he listened to the chattering of teeth coming from the other room was that the girl, however beautiful she may or may not be, was certainly not fit for the North.


	3. Chapter 3

DAENERYS

In her few days in Winterfell, she beginning to learn what the word "cold" really meant. She couldn't walk freely around the keep, as Eddard Stark had wanted to keep her stay at Winterfell at secret, and was only allowed to stay in her and her handmaidens' rooms. A few select servants came and went to serve her food and to care for her, but she wished they hadn't. Every day, the servants would look at her white hair with looks of disgust, as if to ask her why she was here.

Everything was so different here, in the North. Of course, Daenerys had never been to anywhere else in Westeros, and she wondered if other parts of Westeros was like this. If so, she would do everything to change it, when she became queen.

The food was usually unpalatable, being boar legs and some rock-hard bread with the bitterest wine she had ever tasted. As the wine went down her throat, she felt as if there was a dragon lurking in her throat, breathing fire as it went down to her stomach to lay fiery eggs there. She mostly left the food untouched. She wasn't hungry much these days anyway. She would rather have fed her babies. The dragons ate up the quite disgusting looking meat well, asking for more. She couldn't help but smile as they coughed on the meat, trying to eat it so fast.

Only the dragons looked up to her in this prison, it seemed. Every time she looked at them eat, she was reminded of Drogo. He wouldn't have locked her in like this, would he have? Of course, she hadn't known him for long, since a boar had killed him before he could really do anything bad to her, but he had been nicer than Viserys, nor had he kept her cooped up in some room like this.

She had been riding horses in the great Dothrak plains just a few months earlier, and now the only thing she could do was look outside the window towards the hills of the North, while her babies nibbled at her fingers, asking her for food.

"You lizards are always hungry, aren't you?" Daenerys said as she gave them some of her untouched breakfast. She hadn't really felt like eating. The dragons all shook their head as they ate, as if they were answering her question. Daenerys smiled. Just then, there was a knock at her door.

"Just a moment!"

She quickly hid her dragons in their cages and put a drape over the cage. The young lord and her mother knew about the dragons, but she'd been instructed to hide them from the servants. Well, she didn't want someone to know about her dragons anyway. They might attract some strange people.

There was another knock, and Daenerys went to open the door. Surely the servants were here to give her a meal. It was about midday, so a lunch would be appropriate.

When she opened the door, she didn't find a servant, but rather the young lord looking back at her, holding a plate of food. His face was as cold as always, and those blue eyes seemed to pierce into her, reading her mind. They seemed so cold, just like everything in Winterfell.

"May I come in?" He finally said, and Daenerys noticed that she had been staring at him.

"Of course, my lord, I was simply, I was simply startled. I wasn't expecting you to visit." Daenerys stammered even as she spoke the truth. She was definitely not expecting him to visit.

"My apologies. I should have let you know earlier that I would be visiting. It just… Slipped my mind."

Daenerys noticed that he was stammering as well. Of course he was nervous, she thought bitterly. She was the son of the man who had killed both his grandfather and his uncle, a girl who was raising a dragon in his own castle. She was an enemy and a freak to him, and yet he had to marry him. Against his will, too, probably, Daenerys thought.

"Uh… yes, right. I brought you your lunch. I know the servants have been bringing it to you for the last month, but, I thought, since I have not introduced myself, neither formally nor informally, that I would do so today."

Daenerys just stared at him more. He was pathetic, wasn't he? A craven little boy, ruling over a castle, told by his parents to marry someone. Probably his mother had made him do _this_ as well.

"By bringing me food?" She retorted.

She wasn't joking, but the boy lord smiled a bit, as if he was relieved to have gotten her to talk.

"We need to, arrange, the…" The boy coughed, as if he was choking on his own words.

"The ceremony. The others seem to want us to figure the details out." He continued after he regained control of his voice.

"Then let's talk. I don't feel like eating much anyway. I don't do much around here, so I have nothing to be hungry about, really." Daenerys herself was a bit surprised at how bitter and accusatory that sounded.

'Well, he was keeping her here, I deserve to be angry', she thought. The boy shot a guilty look as he opened his mouth again.

"Of course. I… I am sorry for keeping you here like this. My father wanted to keep you hidden until we…"

Daenerys cut him off. She didn't even want to think about that for now. To have to be… _that_ with this boy… It was going to be miserable.

"Yes. I think I understand. Now, we had something we needed to discuss, milord?"

"Oh, right. So… First, the invitations, but my mother…"

The young lord droned on. He truly was pathetic. He was just a boy running his parents' errands, nothing like the _Khal_ had been. He looked a bit closer to Viserys, if anything. As the boy kept talking about useless preparations, Daenerys couldn't help but cry a little on the inside.

-o-

ROBB

It was clear. The Targaryen girl hated him, probably even more than he hated her. Well, they did both have reasons to hate each other. Their families had both taken something from each other. One broke a happy family, and the other the crown. He wondered which was worse to lose. His father had never talked about the rebellion before. He had always wondered why,

Still, though Robb had expected the girl to hate him, he hadn't expected her to look down at him like that. It seemed like everyone was looking down at him these days. His mother, the Greatjon, even Maester Luwin. Now there was someone worse, someone with much greater power than he had, and a girl at that. Robb groaned as he walked to the stables. He'd go hunting alone. Being alone usually cleared things up. As he mounted his horse, Grey Wind slid out of a nearby door, as if he had been waiting for Robb to come.

"Where were you? I didn't even notice you being gone."

Grey Wind barked like a dog. If it weren't for his size, he would be able to pass as a hound. Grey Wind chewed on Robb's boots, as if he was asking Robb to take him hunting. Robb smiled.

"You want to go too? I'm not going to play around like usual. I'm going to get some real hunting done this time, you'll see."

Grey wind barked then rolled, and it looked like he was rolling with laughter.

"Think what you like, I'm going to find a boar, or something. I'm good with my sword."

Grey Wind simply nudged his head on his boots.

"You want me to shut up and start riding, don't you?"

Grey Wind barked.

"Alright, alright, we're going. Let's go get some boar."

Just as Robb was about to ride out, he noticed that the windows were open in Bran's room. It was a cold day.

'Why would the windows be open? Was his mother not there by Bran's side? And what of the maester?' He wondered.

Grey Wind growled, as if he felt the same weird tug in his gut that Robb was feeling. Something was definitely wrong.

"It looks like hunting will have to wait, Grey." Robb muttered as he raced to the tower.

As he raced up the tower steps, Robb found that the tower was strangely empty. Then, he heard screams. Screams of a woman.

"MOTHER! I am on my way, mother!"

Robb clutched on to the hilt of his practice sword as Grey Wind raced up to the stairs before him. When Robb burst into Bran's chambers, Grey Wind was growling at a mysterious intruder as his mother was slumped in the corner, clutching her bloodied hands.

Time seemed to slow down as Robb took in all that was happening. And before he knew it, he was reaching for his practice sword.

'I need to be able to do what Ser Rodrik taught me. This is a practice sword, but it will still be able to gash him in places, just like Jon always does with Theon.'

As Robb lunged at the intruder, the intruder dodged the blade, as he did so, Grey Wind and Summer grabbed on the intruder's legs and dragged him down. Robb, without thinking, swung his sword down in a horizontal fashion, and blood spattered all across the room.

When Robb came back to his senses, his mother, the Targaryen girl, the maester, and Ser Rodrik were all gaping at what had happened. As the Maester treated his mother's hands, Ser Rodrik studied the weapon that the intruder had used. Robb just sat there, looking at the blood on his hands. Grey Wind and Summer both nuzzled his side.

When Robb finally came to his senses, he saw that the Targaryen girl was staring at him quite strangely, in a face he hadn't seen her make before. Was it pity? Was it disgust? Whatever it was, it couldn't be good if he had gotten the attention of The Mother of Dragons by killing a man.


End file.
